Connector for plates

ABSTRACT

A connector is provided which is made of two coaxial parts having interengaging projections and recesses. The recesses are bounded by walls having saw tooth shaped grooves engaging like grooves on the projections. The parts also have saw tooth shaped peripheral grooves.

United States Patent Rock [451 July 18, 1972 [S4] CONNECTOR FOR PLATES[72] Inventor: Erich Rock, Hochst, Austria [73] Assignee: Julius BlumGesellschalt m.b.I-l., Hochst,

Austria 22 Filed: Sept.1i, 1970 211 AppLNo; 71,435

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data April 6, 1970 Austria ..A 3084/70[52] U.S. C1. "24/73 PP, 52/285, 52/585, 287/20.92 B, 287/2092 C,287/2092 E [51 Int. Cl. ..A44b 21/00, F04b 1/00, B253 3/38 [58] Field ofSearch. ....24/73; 287/127, 20.92 B, 20.92 E, 287/2092 C; 52/578, 285;16/159 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,088,178 5/1963Props! ..20/92 15 2,221,141 11/1940 Kindt ..287/127 X 3,351,365 11/1967Bickl ..287/127 3,532,369 10/1970 ReilIy.... .287/127 X 49,386 8/1865Cross ..287/127 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 245,199 6/1965 Germany..287/1 27 Primary Examiner-Paul R. Gilliam Attorney-Waters, Roditi,Schwartz & Nissan [5 7] ABSTRACT A connector is provided which is madeof two coaxial parts having interengaging projections and recesses. Therecesses are bounded by walls having saw tooth shaped grooves engaginglike grooves on the projections. The parts also have saw tooth shapedperipheral grooves.

3 Claims, 5 having Figures Patented July 18, 1972 2 Sheets-Sheet lPatented July 18, 1972 2 Sheets-Shee t CONNECTOR FOR PLATES Thisinvention relates to a connector for plates, particularly for furniturepieces, consisting of not less than two parts adapted to be insertedinto a bore from opposite sides, said parts being provided withperipheral grooves, preferably in the form of saw teeth, and with axialprojections and cooperating recesses, the projection of one partpenetrating into the recess of the other part during fitting.

Among other things, connectors of this kind serve the purpose of joininganother wall at right angles to a furniture wall, for example anintermediate wall, on both sides thereof. For the sake of saving costs,one sole connector is used; it cannot be one-part because, in this case,all of its peripheral grooves would have to be bevelled in the samedirection in order to enable the connector to be driven into the bore ofthe plate; this may involve the danger that the connector might bewithdrawn from the bore in direction of the insertion on the other sideowing to forces exerted by the wall secured to it.

As the plate is usually of small thickness, each part is provided withaxial projections virtually extending to the other plate surface andequally provided with grooves.

Usually the connectors are made of plastic material for reasons ofcosts, the projections thus springing inside. In order to secure themfirmly in the plate, known constructions have appropriate feather ordrift elements such as pins, screws, cones or the like, which have to bescrewed, driven or the like into the bore of the plate after insertionof the connector.

This implies various disadvantages. Firstly, the feather or driftelement makes the construction more expensive and requires additionalroom. Furthermore, there is the danger that it is secured too stronglyand the plate thus bursts, particularly if wood chipboard panels areused. Even in known constructions, removal is hardly possible withoutdamaging the wall of the bore and it is seldom necessary in practice.

These disadvantages are avoided according to the invention in that therecesses are closed inside by a wall against which the projections aresupported.

Thus no feather or drift element is required; the projections areimpeded from springing back inside by an appropriate construction of thepart into which they extend, and the grooves provided thereon penetratewithout exception into the wall of the bore, thus fully contributing tosecuring the part firmly.

In order to employ the counterpart for absorbing tractional forces, itis proposed to provide the projections at their inside and the recessesat their outside with transverse grooves and thus to secure both partsrelative to each other. These grooves are very effective because theyare provided on surfaces resting upon each other under pressure.

An embodiment of the invention is hereinafter described with referenceto the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view of part of the connector from the side visible afterintroduction, i.e. usually that lying flush with the plate surface;

FIG. 2 is a view in direction "A" of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the connector shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view along line lV-IV of FIG. 3; and

P16. 5 shows two connectors in twin stop.

In the described embodiment, each part of the connector comprises twohalves l, 1", which enables the feather or drift element 2 to beintroduced into an appropriate recess (now shown). The feather or driftelement serves to lock firmly a pin introduced into the bore 3 andsecured to a plate or the like. The two halves l', 1" may subsequentlybe connected in a mechanical way, by gluing or the like.

Each half 1', l" of each part of the connector has an axial projection 4and a recess 5 and is provided with peripheral grooves 6 in the form ofsaw teeth.

As shown in FIG. 4, the recess 5 does not extend all the way to the bore3, but is closed inside by a wall 7. The latter is provided withtransverse grooves in the form of saw teeth 8; the inner walls of theprojections 4 are also provided with transverse grooves 9.

The recesses 5 do not pass through to the front surface of each part,but are axially closed by a wall 10. This not only provides areinforcement, but a smooth visible wall.

During fitting, both parts are simultaneously or subsequently pressed ordriven into the bore of the wood panel I 1 shown in FlG. 2 from oppositesides in such manner that the surfaces are in alignment. Inverseinsertion of both parts by carelessness is practically ruled out owingto the projections and recesses spread irregularly over the periphery.When the projections are introduced into the recesses, which isfacilitated by the bevelled ends 12, the transverse grooves slide oneach other. Removal is impeded by the latter and the grooves biting intothe wall of the bore. Thus the grooves on the projections are fullyeffective, because they are impeded from springing back by the walls 7,without a proper feather or drift element being necessary.

FIG. 5 shows two connectors I introduced into a wood panel 11 in theform of a furniture intermediate wall in twin stop, one of the axiallyextending projections being visible for each connector, whichprojections penetrate into appropriate recesses of the other connector1, Furthermore, FIG. 5 illustrates the pins 13 firmly locked torespective of connectors l by means of feather or drift elements (FIGS.1, 3), said pins frontally penetrating into the wood panels 14, 15 to beconnected with the wood panel 11.

What I claim is:-

l. A connector adapted for use in a bore in a furniture piece, saidconnector comprising two parts adapted to be inserted into said borefrom opposite sides, said parts being provided with peripheral groovesin the form of oppositely directed saw teeth, said parts including axialprojections and being provided with recesses, the projection of eachpart penetrating into the recess of the other part, each part includinga wall bounding the corresponding recess, said projections restingagainst said walls when the parts are fitted together, said projectionsbeing provided with grooves on their inner surfaces and said walls beingprovided with grooves on their outer surfaces, the latter said groovescorresponding to each other and having the form of sawteeth, each partincluding a second wall axially limiting the corresponding recess.

2. A connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said projections andrecesses are spaced irregularly on said parts.

3. A connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said projections includebevelled free ends.

1. A connector adapted for use in a bore in a furniture piece, said connector comprising two parts adapted to be inserted into said bore from opposite sides, said parts being provided with peripheral grooves in the form of oppositely directed saw teeth, said parts including axial projections and being provided with recesses, the projection of each part penetrating into the recess of the other part, each part including a wall bounding the corresponding recess, said projections resting against said walls when the parts are fitted together, said projections being provided with grooves on their inner surfaces and said walls being provided with grooves on their outer surfaces, the latter said grooves corresponding to each other and having the form of sawteeth, each part including a second wall axially limiting the corresponding recess.
 2. A connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said projections and recesses are spaced irregularly on said parts.
 3. A connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said projections include bevelled free ends. 